Which country has the highest Best Countries Overall Score?

Switzerland has the highest Best Countries Overall Score in 2024, at 100.0, followed by Japan (96.6) and United States (94.2).

Which country has the lowest Best Countries Overall Score?

Serbia has the lowest Best Countries Overall Score in 2024, at 1.5.

What is the median Best Countries Overall Score across countries?

The median is 25.8 across the 88 countries with data in 2024.

Where does this best countries data come from?

Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Best Countries in the World - US News; 2020 Best Countries - US News; 2023 Best Countries - US News.

Country rankings

Best Countries

Name: Best Countries
Creator: Rankodex

Switzerland has the highest Best Countries Overall Score in 2024 (100.0), followed by Japan (96.6) and United States (94.2). Serbia has the lowest (1.5).

Population89 countries · 11 metricsUpdated Feb 7, 2025Original page

3 sources

Showing

Year

88 of 235 countries

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Best Countries Overall Score, 2024

Darker green is better (higher is better). Click a place to highlight it.

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Ranking

Best first: the first 15 and last 5 of 88 countries.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one country; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median

25.8

Middle half 10.6 – 65.1

Average

38.3

88 countries

Highest

100.0

Switzerland

Lowest

1.5

Serbia

Biggest changes · 2023 → 2024

86 countries have a value in both years.

Improved most

Declined most

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

89 countries · # = rank by Best Countries Overall Score

#
1	Switzerland	100.0	28.2
2	Japan	96.6	62.9
3	United States	94.2	100.0
4	Canada	94.1	41.2
5	Australia	92.9	32.6
6	Sweden	91.7	18.2
7	Germany	90.6	81.0
8	United Kingdom	87.9	83.3
9	New Zealand	86.0	11.6
10	Denmark	85.2	17.3
11	Norway	83.6	13.7
12	France	82.9	63.1
13	Netherlands	82.3	19.8
14	Singapore	81.7	22.0
15	Italy	81.1	35.4
16	China	80.0	95.8
17	United Arab Emirates	79.1	52.2
18	South Korea	78.1	64.3
19	Spain	77.8	27.2
20	Finland	77.0	8.2
21	Austria	67.3	11.8
22	Iceland	65.2	2.9
23	Belgium	65.0	15.6
24	Ireland	63.8	7.6
25	Qatar	60.8	28.8
26	Greece	60.4	8.1
27	Luxembourg	59.5	8.4
28	Thailand	57.1	11.0
29	Portugal	56.7	9.2
30	Brazil	55.7	24.6
31	Turkey	53.9	33.4
32	Saudi Arabia	48.2	56.6
33	India	46.4	45.1
34	Mexico	45.6	14.8
35	Egypt	43.5	15.4
36	Russia	37.9	91.0
37	Poland	37.3	11.1
38	Malaysia	35.8	8.4
39	Morocco	31.9	5.0
40	South Africa	31.7	16.8
41	Indonesia	30.5	13.5
42	Argentina	30.3	9.0
43	Costa Rica	28.9	2.5
44	Vietnam	26.6	15.7
45	Philippines	25.0	7.4
46	Israel	24.2	56.2
47	Croatia	23.6	2.8
48	Cyprus	22.4	1.2
49	Peru	21.3	3.2
50	Czechia	21.0	3.8
51	Dominican Republic	20.8	2.6
52	Chile	20.7	6.2
53	Kuwait	19.2	18.8
54	Hungary	18.2	4.8
55	Sri Lanka	16.0	5.1
56	Colombia	15.5	8.7
57	Panama	15.3	4.3
58	Romania	14.9	2.4
59	Kenya	12.7	3.2
60	Tunisia	12.5	3.1
61	Oman	12.3	6.0
62	Estonia	12.0	—
63	Lithuania	11.9	0.6
64	Bulgaria	11.8	1.4
64	Slovenia	11.8	0.2
66	Uruguay	10.6	2.1
67	Latvia	10.4	0.3
68	Cambodia	10.0	4.7
69	Bahrain	9.8	4.7
70	Slovakia	8.7	0.6
71	Bangladesh	8.2	8.0
72	Jordan	8.0	7.2
73	Myanmar	7.5	5.4
73	Uzbekistan	7.5	6.8
73	Ecuador	7.5	3.6
76	Zimbabwe	6.8	3.5
77	Ghana	5.8	4.0
77	Guatemala	5.8	3.1
79	Ukraine	5.7	35.7
79	El Salvador	5.7	4.3
81	Azerbaijan	5.6	4.6
82	Iran	5.1	33.9
83	Kazakhstan	4.1	6.6
83	Honduras	4.1	2.7
85	Cameroon	3.8	3.7
86	Algeria	3.5	3.7
87	Lebanon	2.0	6.2
88	Serbia	1.5	4.3
—	Belarus	—	16.7

What correlates with Best Countries Overall Score (2024)?

Pearson r against 1,751 other country metrics sharing at least 53 countries. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Best Countries Overall Score tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

Quality of Life (US News)Standard of Living by Country
r = +0.91 · very strong · n = 84
Plot
Education Rank USNEducation Rankings by CountryA rank: rank 1 is the best
r = −0.90 · very strong · n = 88
Plot
Entrepreneurial Score - US NewsMost Technologically Advanced Countries
r = +0.90 · very strong · n = 87
Plot
Digital Infrastructure Score - US NewsMost Technologically Advanced Countries
r = +0.86 · very strong · n = 87
Plot
Innovative Score - US NewsMost Technologically Advanced Countries
r = +0.86 · very strong · n = 87
Plot
Scientific Infrastructure ScoreInfrastructure by Country
r = +0.86 · very strong · n = 60
Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Best Countries Overall Score tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

Brain Drain IndexBrain Drain Countries
r = −0.78 · very strong · n = 87
Plot
CyberCash 2019Tier 1 Countries
r = −0.77 · very strong · n = 88
Plot
Brain DrainFailed States
r = −0.77 · very strong · n = 88
Plot
Marketing Experts 2023Tier 1 Countries
r = −0.76 · very strong · n = 83
Plot
Lunio 2020Tier 1 Countries
r = −0.76 · very strong · n = 84
Plot
Year First IKEA OpenedCountries with the Most IKEAs
r = −0.71 · very strong · n = 58
Plot

Quick answers

Which country has the highest Best Countries Overall Score?: Switzerland has the highest Best Countries Overall Score in 2024, at 100.0, followed by Japan (96.6) and United States (94.2).
Which country has the lowest Best Countries Overall Score?: Serbia has the lowest Best Countries Overall Score in 2024, at 1.5.
What is the median Best Countries Overall Score across countries?: The median is 25.8 across the 88 countries with data in 2024.
Where does this best countries data come from?: Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Best Countries in the World - US News; 2020 Best Countries - US News; 2023 Best Countries - US News.